New Beginning
by AdmiralM
Summary: A girl from 2002 wakes up one morning and finds herself on the USS Voyager, a ship she only knew from TV. Will she return? And, if not, will she adapt?


Disclaimer: Bla... bla... Do not own them, bla... bla... Only borrowing.  
  
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New Beginning  
  
I was pretty tired when I went to bed; which was early, to get some extra rest. But, alas, it didn't seem to have worked. Groggily I opened my eyes, half. The ligth was bright so I figured it had to be day. Already? As I turned my face away from the light I noticed something different about my bed. It was harder than it used to be.   
  
I wasn't able to open my eyes completely, and everything I did see was fuzzy. Something was wrong, I'd figured that out. I hadn't drunk anything last night, I never drank actually, at least, alcohol. Some vague figures were visible to one side, two of them, dressed in black, sort of; one seemed bald so he had to be a man. The other had long hair, probably a woman. I wasn't sure though, I couldn't see clearly. I tried to speak but my mouth was too dry. As I tried to move myself, I noticed how unnaturally heavy my body felt. I decided, instead of moving or seeing, to listen what was said.  
  
"…doing fine, merely shock. She'll wake up in a little while."  
  
"How long is a little while?"  
  
"She's already stirring."  
  
"Wake her up."  
  
I didn't really understand, but I figured I was in the hospital. What had happened? The last thing I remembered was going to bed. Did the house caught fire or something? No… I wasn't in any pain, I would feel it if I were burned, would I? My eyesight became a little better and I noticed the man coming closer. Then I felt something cold against my neck and heard a hissing noise. I flinched a bit, but a few seconds later, my eyesight returned fully and I could move my limbs again. As I scrambled up a bit and looked around, I realised I wasn't in the hospital. But everything was awfully familiar. Where did I know this from?   
  
…   
  
Oh my god… No, this couldn't be, off course I was dreaming, I couldn't be on Voyager, the Voyager, the USS Voyager from Star Trek.   
  
I involuntary shook my head and mumbled: "Can't be."  
  
"What can't be?" asked the woman I now recognised as Captain Kathryn Janeway.   
  
I didn't answer but looked around and recognised the bald man as the EMH. And the hospital idea was making sense now, since I was in sickbay.   
  
"You're not real," I said, when my voice returned.  
  
"Aren't I?" Janeway said, eyebrows raised, "I always thought I was."  
  
"Oh my god…" I managed to say before I, and I'm ashamed to say it, fainted.  
  
When I came to, the EMH was scanning me with the small scanning device I had seen on screen so many times.   
  
"She's with us again," the EMH said, apparently to Janeway, because she came near.  
  
"We need to talk," she said, in such a voice I knew there was trouble.  
  
Then, I suddenly heard barking.  
  
"Oh, I forgot about the dog," Janeway said, walking away to another end of sickbay. As I got up and looked at what she was doing, I recognised the dog.  
  
"Lady!" I exclaimed. She looked up and started pulling the leash that tied her to the wall. Janeway quickly untied it and Lady ran over to the table, jumping up against it. I swung my legs to the side and let myself slide down. I did feel a bit weak on my legs, but I didn't have any time to think about that. I bend down and Lady was so happy, she threw me off my legs and slobbered all over me. I laughed, hugged her got kissed by her and, almost by instinct, realised this was real.   
  
It took a while for Lady to calm down, but when she did, I was able to come back up and sat on the bed again. As I looked to Janeway, I saw her eyes had changed, from distant, to a warmer kind. I remebered that she had a dog too, and smiled at her a little; as much as I dared.  
  
"Are you fit to walk?" she asked, in a nicer tone of voice.   
  
"I guess," I said. Janeway looked sideways to the Doctor who nodded to give his consent.  
  
"Then, let's go to my Ready Room. We can talk more easily there." I just nodded and slipped of the bed again.  
  
Janeway led the way and as we left sickbay, she looked back at me and walked on as she saw I was right behind her. Lady followed directly behind me, eyeing me closely.   
  
As we walked through the corridors, I recognised the design, but it was all a lot larger than it had looked on TV. First of all, there was a whole lot more corridor and there were more doors. We reached a turbolift and I was in absolute awe when we entered and it actually responded to Janeway's voice command to take us to Deck One.  
  
Once there, she led me to her Ready Room and I was pretty stunned to discover the backdoor. I knew there had to be another way to enter the Ready Room from somewhere other than the bridge, but I had never seen it used.   
  
"Take a seat," Janeway said, disturbing my trail of thought and as I looked up, I saw her indicating the chair opposite of her desk. As I sat down, she went to sit at the other side.  
  
"Well," she said, "and explanation would be most appreciated. How did you get here?"  
  
"I don't know," I said, surprised at that question, and looked at her.  
  
"I just wake up," I said, feeling pressured, "in a sickbay I've seen dozens of times before on TV. You are not real, at least not from my point of view."  
  
Janeway's expression changed from annoyance at my bold way of speaking to surprise.   
  
"On TV?" she asked.  
  
"Yes!" I said, "Star Trek: Voyager is a succesfull sci-fi TV-series. The fourth of its kind actually. It finished its run approximately one-and-a-half years ago."   
  
By now, Janeway realised I was serious and she sighed, lowering her head bit.  
  
"Great, I just love alternate dimensions…" she mumbled to herself and straightened up.  
  
"Okay," she began, "let's start with the essentials. What is your name?"  
  
"I'm Rachel Montgomery," I said.  
  
"And where do you come from?"  
  
"Moonrock, Connecticut."  
  
"Hmmm, and when were you born?"  
  
"The fifteenth of July, 1982."  
  
"Which makes you how old now?"  
  
I smiled, figuring what she was aiming at.  
  
"I am twenty and it is, in my world, November in the year 2002."  
  
Janeway took the upper part of her nose between thumb and finger and rubbed it.   
  
"What is the year here?" I asked, suddenly thinking of something.  
  
"It is stardate 54033.9, making it October 2376."  
  
"Oh dear," I said, not able to control myself.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
I hesitated, this was the beginning of the seventh season of Star Trek: Voyager, did I now know the future? Had everything that had happened in the series also happened here?"  
  
Janeway looked at me, eyebrows slightly raised.  
  
"I might know the future," I blurted out, and, on her look continued, "In my world, this year is the beginning of the seventh, and last season of the Voyager TV-series. If the things that happened on TV in my world also happened here, I know the future for the coming year."  
  
Janeway pondered this for a few moments. When she looked up again, she seemed determined.  
  
"Here's what will happen," she said, "You will be assigned quarters. We have no idea how you got here, so after you have been given quarters, we will start working on that. You are not to discuss this future you might know about with anyone."  
  
"Okay," I said, processing everything that had happened.   
  
"Good," Janeway said and hit her commbadge, "Janeway to Lieutenant Paris."  
  
"Paris here," came Tom's voice through the commbadge. I recognised it and smiled.   
  
"Lieutenant, come to my Ready Room please," Janeway said.  
  
"On my way Captain," he answered, "Paris out."  
  
He had apparently been on the Bridge because he was there a few seconds later. As I saw him, I smiled; this experience was getting more realistic every minute. I had been on this ship, consciously, only half an hour or so and by now, I had already seen three crewmembers I knew from TV.  
  
Janeway quickly informed Tom of what had happened and then turned to me.  
  
"I asked Lieutenant Paris to come show you your quarters because he was the one that found you." I nodded in agreement as she picked up something.  
  
"I have a commbadge for you," she said, "You know how it works?" I nodded and she handed it to me and then Tom motioned for us to go.  
  
Then the three of us, Tom, me and Lady walked out of sickbay to a turbolift. We ended up on Deck Six, were Tom brought us to a nice set of quarters. Inside, there was a kitchen, a dining area with four seats, a comfortable looking sitting area, a desk to work at and a door in the back.  
  
"This is the bedroom. Over there's the bathroom, the use of it is pretty easy. If you don't get it, just ask the computer for an explanation."  
  
As Tom said this, I just nodded. Janeway had told him I came from another time and reality, and that I used to watch Voyager on TV and was, as such, familiar with a lot of the common things.   
  
As we went back into the livingroom, Tom walked in the direction of the kitchen.  
  
"You can cook yourself, or replicate something," he said, "You know how to use a replicator?"  
  
"I do," I said.   
  
"Okay, I'll leave you to it now," he replied, smiling, "You must be exhausted from everything. The Captain will visit you in the morning."  
  
"Thanks Tom, eh… Lieutenant Paris." I blushed, I was so used to calling him just Tom when referring to him.  
  
"Tom's okay," he said, grinning.  
  
"Thanks Tom," I said again, this time without blushing.  
  
Lady had found a comfortable spot to lie down and was now, after sniffing through the place, sleeping as Tom left.   
  
The first thing I did was replicate some food, I was starved. After diner, I was pretty tired and, after putting the dishes back into the replicator, I headed for the shower. After asking the computer a little explanation on how the shower worked, I showered and had to put my clothes back on for it were all the clothes I had.   
  
Back in the livingroom, I replicated myself a pair of pajamas and went to bed.  
  
The next morning I woke up pretty early. As I checked my watch, it stood blinking on 00:00 hours.   
  
"Damn, it must've got scrambled during… whatever way I got here." Suddenly I remembered something.  
  
"Computer, what's the time?" I said, smiling at the ease of everything.  
  
"Seven hours, fourteen minutes," the computer replied.  
  
I quickly set my watch to the right time, because asking the computer is fun, but just a quick check on the watch is faster. I got up and went straight to the replicator. After replicating some breakfast (a sandwich and juice) I replicated some clothing. It took me three times to get everything right, but then I had a decent pair of black pants, a purple shirt and a purple vest to put over it. The outfit was based on a set of clothes I really had, so I had an example.  
  
It was roughly ten in the morning when my commbadge beeped and Janeway's voice came through.  
  
"Captain Janeway to Rachel Montgomery," she said.  
  
"Rachel here," I said, after tapping my badge.   
  
"Are you ready?" inquired Janeway.  
  
"Yes, Captain," I replied.  
  
"Good, could you come down to Cargo Bay One, some things appeared here, which we think belongs to you."  
  
"To me?"  
  
"Yes, you know the way?"  
  
"I'll find it, Rachel out."  
  
I left the quarters, with Lady hanging on my tail, and headed for the turbolift down the hall. When we had entered, I said to the computer: "Take me to Cargo Bay One."  
  
The computer beeped shortly and the lift began moving. It wasn't long until we reached it and as we got out, I turned to a computer panel in the wall.  
  
"Computer, where's Cargo Bay One?" I asked.   
  
"Straight ahead, second left, third right, middle door."  
  
"Straight ahead, second left, third right, middle door," I repeated to myself, "okay, I can do that."  
  
And indeed, without trouble I reached the Cargo Bay. On my way, I encountered a few crewmembers who looked at me, but they apparently knew we were supposed to be aboard, 'cause they didn't do anything. Or it could be that they were just surprised about Lady strolling next to me.  
  
As I entered the Cargo Bay, Janeway, Tuvok and two other men were standing there. I guessed they were security personnel or something. As I approached, Tuvok looked back and I couldn't help smiling. My first alien... okay, that sounds like a children's book or something… my first reading book, my first math book, my first alien…  
  
"Captain?" I said, questioningly.  
  
"Ah, there you are. This," she said, indicating furniture and other stuff on the floor, "appeared here. We don't know exactly when, but it was discovered late last night. We think it came at the same time as you."  
  
"It must be," I said, "It's my room." It was, literally, my room. All my stuff was arranged in such a way that it looked like someone had just transported everything out of my room and into here.   
  
We discussed, well, they discussed a bit how it could have been possible that my stuff was here but came to a dead end.  
  
"The computer has not located any temporal anomaly, or any anomaly," Tuvok said.  
  
"Hmm," Janeway replied, "Computer, beam this stuff to the quarters of Rachel Montgomery." I studied the dematerialization effect with great pleasure; it was awesome, seeing it for real.  
  
"The materials are now in your quarters," Janeway said to me, "would you now be so kind as to follow me?"   
  
We ended up in the Briefing Room where Harry Kim, Seven of Nine and B'Elanna Torres were already sitting. Janeway had contacted them, as we were on our way to the Bridge.  
  
"Okay," Janeway began, the moment we were all seated, "You all know what's going on. I need an update. Harry?"  
  
"The only thing we discovered until now is that, at the same time Rachel arrived on board, a temporal interphasic energy burst, very briefly, surged through the ship, directly through the point she appeared and through the point her things appeared. Therefore it seems that burst transported Rachel here," Harry said, "Unfortunately, we don't know how and why it was created, we don't even exactly know what it was. We also don't know how to get her back."  
  
"Is there anything else you do know?" He just shook his head.  
  
"Seven, anything?"  
  
"The Borg have never encountered these bursts before," was all Seven could offer, "I do not know anything about it."  
  
"Hmmm. This surge went through the entire ship?"  
  
"Yes, Captain," answered Harry.  
  
"Did it do any damage?"  
  
"As far as I know it didn't, we ran diagnostics all through the ship and everything has turned out clear," B'Elanna answered.  
  
"Well then, it seems that you have to stay a bit longer while we try to figure a way out to get you back," Janeway said to me.  
  
I just nodded, while studying the other three crewmembers. It was so cool to meet Harry, Seven and B'Elanna for real. By now I had already met seven out of the nine crewmembers from TV. I did feel sorry I wouldn't meet Kes, because she had been one of my favourites and since this was the seventh season, the episode 'Fury' had already happened, at least, it had if it happened all the same.  
  
We discussed my situation a little bit more and then the meeting broke up and I returned to my quarters.  
  
Really all my stuff was there and I began sorting it out. I pushed my bed to the bedroom, my desk against a wall somewhere out of the way. I did the same with my bookcase and then shoved my closet with clothes into the bedroom. My table and the two accompanying chairs I pushed somewhere in the kitchen area and finally I put my comfy chair in the living area. Then I started putting away all the small stuff. When I was finished, it was hours later and I was pretty hungry. Janeway had asked me to eat in the messhall, due to the replicator being rationed and stuff, so I headed up to the messhall, with Lady still behind me as if she were glued to me.   
  
When I entered, Neelix saw me and recognised me as 'the guest' because he came to us right away and said: "Hi, I'm Neelix. I'm the cook and…"  
  
"Morale Officer," I interrupted.  
  
"Yes, you know?!" I nodded and smiled.   
  
"It's a great pleasure to meet you, I've always wanted to," I said.  
  
"Well thank you," he replied and motioned for me to follow to the front. There, he filled up a plate with a suspicious looking dish, and assured me this was his specialty. I took the food and went to sit at a table in a corner. I knew from TV he wasn't always the best cook and I eyed the food suspiciously. Carefully, I tried it. Fortunately, it was edible, and even tasted pretty good.  
  
After lunch, I returned to my quarters and saw, to my surprise, B'Elanna installing a 'thing' in a corner.   
  
"What are you doing?" I asked. She turned around and smiled.  
  
"It's for your dog, you know, it will automatically clean up and recycle the particles."  
  
"Great!" I said.  
  
"Janeway said I should build this in after the little accident in Sickbay."  
  
"In Sickbay?"  
  
"I think you were still unconscious then."  
  
B'Elanna finished installing it and turned around.   
  
"As soon as she enters it," B'Elanna said, indicating Lady, "the machine will emit a scent that will stimulate her to do it in there."  
  
"Great," I said.  
  
When B'Elanna had left, I let Lady in the device and indeed, after she was ready and out of it again, it automatically processed the remains. It was kinda like they were beamed away.  
  
I then walked to the desk and sat down as I turned the deskcomputer on.  
  
"Computer, can you show me an overview of the ship," I said, and on screen an overview appeared. I studied it for a few minutes and then got up. As I called Lady to follow me, I walked out.  
  
I had only walked for a few minutes, when I encountered Tom again, this time not in uniform but in plain paints and shirt.  
  
"Hello Rachel," he said.  
  
"Hi Tom," I greeted back, "not on duty?"  
  
"No, I was on my way to the Holodeck actually." It was like my mind made a jump when he mentioned the Holodeck.  
  
"Look…" I said, hesitantly, "I don't want to impose on you; but could I come with you? I'd love to see the Holodeck, I've always wished those things were real and now…" Tom smiled and nodded.  
  
"Sure, come along."  
  
We walked along the corridor untill we reached the Holodeck.  
  
"Any preferences?" Tom asked, when we were standing outside the doors.  
  
"Well, I know a few from TV, but the only one coming to mind right now is… Sandrine's," I said, I would actually love to try out the Doctor's holonovel, but that, if things went as on TV, would not be written until next year.  
  
"Then Sandrine's it is."  
  
We entered and I was in awe at the whole experience. Tom invited Harry and B'Elanna over, who were also, conveniently, off duty to come too.  
  
When they arrived we had a little bit of an awkward beginning but eventually we got along great. We enjoyed ourselves for about an hour or so and then, Tom and B'Elanna had to go again.   
  
"I'm still off duty," Harry said, "I could show you around."  
  
"That would be great," I said, "thanks."  
  
So, a few minutes later, Tom and B'Elanna were gone, and Harry and I were standing in a plain Holodeck now.  
  
"Cool," I said, looking at the metal interior of the Holodeck, without a program running.  
  
"Let's go," Harry said and headed for the door.  
  
"What do you want to see?" he inquired.  
  
"Ehm… Well, I've seen the Holodeck now, eh, Sickbay and the Ready Room. I'd love to see the Bridge, I entered the Ready Room and the Briefing Room through the back door… and Engineering… and Astrometrics. Those are the areas I've seen on TV so…"  
  
"Okay. Let's go down first and then up. That means Astrometrics first, then Engineering and finally the Bridge and I'll show you other rooms in between."  
  
"Perfect."  
  
So, in the end, I got an extensive tour of Voyager, not only seeing Astrometrics and Engineering, but also laboratories and other rooms. Eventually, we were back up again and headed for the Bridge.   
  
When we entered, I hesitantly stepped inside and looked around in awe. There I was, standing on the Bridge of the USS Voyager, my dreams had come true.   
  
Janeway was sitting in the Big Chair and turned around.  
  
"So you came to see my Bridge?" she asked.  
  
I was unable to answer so Harry jumped in.  
  
"I gave her a tour of the ship, and she very much wanted to see the Bridge."  
  
"Okay, but be careful."  
  
"I… I will," I said, coming back to reality, this reality, again.  
  
Harry then showed me his station and Tuvok's and then took me to see the helm.  
  
By now, a few hours had passed and Harry had to get ready for his shift. He accompanied me to the lift.  
  
"I had a very good time today," he said, "And you?"  
  
"Perfect!" I said, "It couldn't be better."  
  
Then the doors closed and the lift went down to Deck Six.  
  
As I entered my quarters I realised I had to see if I really did know the future. So, I went to sit at the desk and read through Voyager's history of the last six years.   
  
And, what I had feared was true, everything that had happened on TV, had happened for real here, with extra stuff that had fallen 'in between episodes'.   
  
I read that Seven of Nine had recently had problems with her cortical node and that Icheb had given her his node, so she would survive. I knew that had happened in 'Imperfection' the second episode of Season seven. I also knew, from the top of my head, that the next one was 'Drive' about the Antarian Rally, but I hadn't read anything about that, so I figured we had to be in between these episodes.  
  
Thinking about the implications of this, I realised I had to discuss this with Janeway.   
  
And then there was also the thing of what I would do on board. I had no knowledge or skill useful on a Starship. I decided to get something to eat first and went up to the messhall. As I entered and walked to the front to grab some food, Neelix started talking to me.  
  
"So, getting used to things a bit?"  
  
I smiled at him and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, I like being here, but it's weird realising that I'll probably never see my home again."  
  
I quickly added: "But I think some people on board might think that too, since we are in the Delta Quadrant, far away from Earth."  
  
I knew we would be back home in a year, but had to keep up as if I didn't know anything.   
  
Neelix nodded and I had to walk on because other crew members were standing behind me.  
  
As I looked around for a table, B'Elanna saw me and pointed to the empty chair at the table that she was sharing with Tom and Harry.  
  
"Come join us," B'Elanna said as I was standing at the table.  
  
"Thanks," I said and sat down.   
  
I enjoyed my meal and talked with the three officers. After we had finsihed, all three of them went back to work, making me feel even more useless. I stood outside the mess a while before I walked on, loosely in the direction of a turbolift.   
  
After a little hesitation, I tapped my commbadge and, after a deep breath, said: "Rachel Montgomery to Captain Janeway."  
  
"Janeway here," came her voice through the badge.  
  
"Eh… Captain, could I talk to you for a moment… i-in person?"  
  
"All right, come to my Ready Room."  
  
"Yes Captain… Rachel out."  
  
A bit firmer I walked on and took the lift up to Deck One.  
  
As I entered the Ready Room, Janeway was already behind her desk.  
  
"Take a seat," she said, seeing how uncomfortable I was.  
  
I smiled quickly and sat down.  
  
"I eh… I wanted to talk to you about eh… my eh... uselessness," I said, not knowing how else to put it.  
  
"Uselessness?" Janeway said, frowning at the word.  
  
"Yeah," I said, quickly smiling a bit, and gathering courage I continued, "It seems I have to stay here on board for the rest of my life. I talked to Ha… Ensign Kim, a little while ago and according to him, they can't figure it out. But this also means, that I would very much like something to do. Problem with that is, that I come from a completely different time and have no real skill usable on a star ship."  
  
When I had finished my little speech, Janeway looked at me, nodding a little.  
  
"You have a point," she said, "We'll have to find you some work. What are your skills?"  
  
"Well," I began, "I'm pretty good with my computer, but, again, that's a piece of technology more than 350 years old."  
  
Janeway seemed to think about it and didn't say anything for a while.  
  
"You said you were twenty years old, right?" I nodded.  
  
"Then, what did you do? Did you go to college? Work?"  
  
"I went to college," I said, "I do… did pre-med and worked as an orderly in my free time."  
  
"A-ha," Janeway said, "You could assist the Doctor, he could use an assistant, especially after Kes left."  
  
"But I have only two years of pre-med and it's all twenty-first century technology and knowledge," I objected, although I'd love to assist the Doctor.  
  
Just as Janeway was about to answer, Commander Chakotay entered.  
  
"Captain, sorry to disturb," he said, "but the new Delta Flyer is ready. Tom and Harry want to give it a shake out cruise to see if if all works fine."  
  
Janeway nodded.  
  
"Go ahead," she said.  
  
Chakotay nodded once and extended his hand to me. I quickly got up and grabbed it.  
  
"I'm Commander Chakotay, but you probably already knew that," he said.  
  
"Yes," I said, "I knew that, I'm Rachel Montgomery, but I guess you already knew that."  
  
"Indeed," he replied, "nice meeting you."  
  
He then turned around and left the Ready Room and as I sat down again, Janeway began to speak.  
  
"The Doctor can teach you about this-time-medicine, and you're experience gives you a little head-start and through time, you'll learn."  
  
"Thank you, Captain," I said, "I really appreciate this."  
  
"It's not all for you," she said, with a smile, "we could use a Medical Assistant. You can go down to Sickbay and report to the Doctor. Chakotay will send you a duty roster later on."  
  
"Right away, Captain," I said.  
  
Janeway nodded and said: "Dismissed."  
  
A few minutes later, I arrived at the Sickbay and walked in. I didn't quite know how to tell the Doctor, but fortunately, I didn't have to. Apparently, Janeway told him because he came to me when he saw me and smiled.  
  
"Welcome in Sickbay, assistant, first lesson starts right now."  
  
I nodded and then the Doctor walked away motioning for me to follow him. I did so and we ended up in the Doctor's office.   
  
"Sit down," the Doctor said as he put several medical instruments on the desk and sat down too.  
  
"This is a hypospray," he said, holding the familiar device up. It's an injector of medicine. You press it against the neck and push here. This is a medical tricorder, it scans the patient and lists bodily functions and symptoms and…"  
  
This went on for about an hour and then the doctor said this was all for today and he gave me a PADD with information on medical devices, illnesses and medicine. With that in my hand, I returned to my quarters and began reading. But after a few minutes, I knew something was wrong, it was all too familiar. As I read the PADD, I knew eveything I read… More and better than what the Doc had told me. I understood it, even things the Doc hadn't mentioned yet. I shouldn't be able to do that. I grabbed another PADD lying around, this one had an elaborate Star Ship Technical Manual on it, and began reading that. And again, it was making too much sense… As far as something can make too much sense, that is. I understood it, at least, most of it. I thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that it had to be some side effect from my unusual way of getting here. I decided to keep this to myself for a little while to see how it would end. Then I realised I hadn't discussed the fact that my TV-reality was going to happen with the Captain. The rest of the day I remained in my quarters and read numerous technological and medical texts to see if the strange side effect would keep on and to upgrade my knowledge. The next day, I was on my way to Sickbay when I ran into Tom and Harry at the lift.   
  
"Deck Five," I said as we got in.  
  
"Deck Ten," added Harry.   
  
"Going to Sickbay?" Tom asked.  
  
"Yes, the Captain made me Medical Assistant," I answered, "In training that is."  
  
"Congratulations," he said.  
  
"We're are you going?" I inquired, remembering Chakotay's remark from the other day and realising this might be the start of the 'Drive' episode.   
  
"Shuttlebay, we're going training for a race that's being held in this area in a couple days," Harry answered.  
  
"Cool," I replied, smiling on the inside that I had been right.  
  
Then the lift stopped at Deck Five and I got out, on my way to sickbay.   
  
I worked hard with the Doctor in learning 24th century medicine and even got to assist when a crewmember came in with a backache. Another came for a little skin repairing and the Doctor, who had just showed me how to use the dermal regenerator, let me do it. Off course, he stood behind me and watched, but I did a good job… neither the crewman nor the Doctor complained.  
  
At the end of the day I decided to tell the Doctor about the peculiar side effect and asked him to scan my brain.  
  
"…maybe something's wrong with it."  
  
Doc took the scanner and scanned my head. As he read the tricorder he shook his head.   
  
"There seems to be nothing wrong with it."  
  
"It has to be," I said, "it's impossible that I understand such technological and medical advanced texts, there talking about stuff that didn't even exist in my time, how can I understand it the first time I read about it."  
  
"I can do an extensive scan if it makes you feel any better."  
  
"Yes, please, thank you."  
  
The Doctor nodded and indicated the bed: "Lie down please."  
  
When I lay, the Doctor put a frame around my head and a few nodes on my forehead and temples.  
  
"I'm going to sedate you, you have to lie absolutely still for this, okay?"  
  
"Okay," I said and felt the pressure of the hypospray against my neck, heard the hissing noise and dozed off.  
  
When I woke up, the Doctor was standing over me with a hypospray and Captain Janeway next to him.  
  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
  
The Doctor stepped aside and indicated the workbench.  
  
"Come and take a look at the results," he said. I got up from the bed and followed both of them to the screen on the workbench.  
  
"This is your brain now," the Doctor said, "And this is your brain when you were just aboard. See the difference?"  
  
I studied the image and finally saw it.  
  
"There!" I said, pointing at a darkened spot in a corner. The Doctor nodded and magnified the image.  
  
"That is the region of the brain where, among others, memory is located," the Doctor said, "and it's hyperstimulated in some way, causing you to assimilate new things in hyperspeed, thus, making it seem as if you remember it."  
  
"But how… How?" I uttered.  
  
"I don't know, normally, this would kill you."  
  
I didn't know what to say.  
  
"Kill… me?"  
  
"Yes, but you're not troubled by it in any way. As far as I can see, it's relatively harmless right now, but I'd like you to wear this cortical stimulator so I can monitor you in case it does go wrong."  
  
I nodded; it was all I could do at the moment; and the Doctor put the stimulator on my temple.   
  
"According to the Doctor," Janeway began, "you can keep working here…"  
  
"Yes, if it goes wrong, you will be close by," the Doctor interrupted.  
  
I nodded and turned to the Captain: "Captain, I need to talk to you, it's quite urgent."  
  
Janeway nodded and stepped aside as the Doctor took the silent hint and retreated to his office.  
  
"I did some research," I began, "to the 'me knowing the future' thing and I do. Know the future I mean."  
  
"Do you know much?"  
  
"This is early in the seventh and final season of the TV-series, so I know about a year ahead."  
  
I decided not to mention Nemesis. The tenth Star Trek movie hadn't been released yet in my time, but I had read the script that circulated on the Internet so I knew what it was about.  
  
"We'll stick to what I said earlier, you keep it before you and do not discuss the future with anyone, nor interfere with things. If you do feel a need to discuss it for some reason, you will do that with me, as Captain."  
  
I nodded: "Yes, Captain."  
  
"Very well," Janeway said as she turned around and walked out.   
  
The next two months went by and nothing really happened. My brain was still in hyperstimulation, although lesser than in the beginning. According to the doctor, it was on its way back to normalcy, but that would take at least another month. Therefore, I still had to wear the cortical stimulator.   
  
I was also still working in Sickbay, and by now I was, thanks to that same hyperstimulated brain, up to date on 24th century medicine and was a fully qualified medical assistant. I had even got the field rank of Ensign. I was working to learn more, so I would have a chance to be accepted at a Meidcal School maybe when Voyager would return. Up until now, everything had played out as it had been on TV; we had just had the episode 'Shattered', which was the eleventh episode out of the 26.   
  
They also hadn't been able to find out how I had gotten here ot how I should return, and had now left the active search for an answer. I had sort of accepted that I had to stay here for the rest of my life and was quite happy with it, even though I missed my parents and other family and friends. Lady had adjusted fine; she had left the trail-following she had done in the beginning and behaved normally now.  
  
I was now pretty good friends with Harry, Tom, B'Elanna and Neelix, among the TV-crew and had made some really good friends among the other, to me mostly unknown, crew. The only thing that bothered me sometimes was the fact that I was the youngest after Naomi Wildman and Icheb; all others were at least in their late twenties, early thirties. Luckily, it didn't hinder the friendships I had developed; also with Icheb and Naomi Wildman.  
  
I was walking down the corridor to get to work when suddenly my commbadge beeped. Completely adjusted I tapped it without hesitation.  
  
"Montgomery here," I said.  
  
"Ensign, report to my Ready Room, please," came the Captain's voice.  
  
"On my way, Montgomery out," I said.  
  
When I entered the Ready Room, I saw an alien sitting opposite of the Captain. He was humanoid, but with some deformities, a bit like Odo from DS9, as if he didn't quite know how to get the shape right. When Janeway saw me standing she indicated the chair next to the alien and said: "Sit down please."  
  
I sat and waited for things to come, I had no idea what business the alien could have with me or what other reasons Captain Janeway could have had to call me in on this.   
  
"Mr. Daqtaq here," Janeway began, indicating the alien, "claims he is responsible for your travel here."  
  
I didn't know what to say and stared at the alien trying to figure out if I should just say 'Oh?!', which was all I had in mind right know or just to keep silent. I chose the latter.  
  
The Alien threw me a quick smile, a sort of apologetical little smile and I realised he was very uncomfortable with the entire situation.   
  
Janeway took control of the situation. She ordered Harry, Seven, B'Elanna and the Doctor to get to the Briefing Room, as well as Tom and Chakotay. Then she informed the alien that he was to explain the how and what of this situation to her and me and the other crew members who had put effort in it to find out how and what by themselves.  
  
The three of us walked to the Briefing Room were the others were either just coming in, or just had come in.   
  
When we were all seated, Captain Janeway 'invited' the alien to speak. He looked around once and scraped his throat a little.  
  
"Okay," he began. "I transported you here," he said to me, "as a gift. You saved my life once, when you were a small child. You probably don't even remember it, but I wanted to reward you for that. I kept an eye out for you your entire life and figured out that you dreamed of visiting the Star Trek Universe, and especially Voyager. Therefore, one night, I decided to transport you to an alternate universe where Star Trek is reality, this universe. The plan was to let you live here for a month or two and then bring you back in such a way that in your universe only a night had passed."   
  
He paused for a moment, then continued: "But something went wrong."  
  
"Wrong?" I asked, an angry undertone in my voice.  
  
"Yes," Daqtaq answered and looked ashamed, "I accidentally copied you."  
  
"Copied her?" B'Elanna said, dangerously yet questioning. Daqtaq nodded.  
  
"Yes, and not only you. I accidentally copied everything in your room. You and all your original stuff were transported here, and all the copies were left behind. Then, I also, accidentally, messed up the speed of time, causing a day here to be equal with a day in your universe. So you have been living here and your copy continued your life there."  
  
"So there are now two me's?"  
  
"Yes, and I am unable to put you two back together," Daqtaq added.  
  
There was a silence as I let this get through to me.  
  
"So that means," I said, when I realised something, "that I cannot go back?" Daqtaq just nodded and bit his lip, or at least the part of his mouth were a lip was supposed to be.   
  
"Yes, but your copy is only part of that problem, I don't know how to create the portal that will bring you back. That what went wrong in taking you here, caused a change in… something… making it impossible for me to create a portal again. So even if you didn't have a copy there, I couldn't bring you back."  
  
I didn't know what to say, but the Doctor took over.   
  
"Are you then also responsible for the hyperstimulation of her brain?" he asked. Daqtaq nodded.  
  
"I am; which reminds me, you can remove the cortical stimulator, nothing will happen to you."  
  
"I prefer to keep it on, for now," I said, not really trusting the alien.   
  
"As you wish," he said and shrugged, "I made your brain go hyper so you'd assimilate information quicker and get used to things easier and be useful. So you could really build a life here. That's also the reason why I didn't show up until now; to give you time to get used to your new life." I just sighed and sank into thought.  
  
But, to make a long story short, or shorter, we talked about it some more, but the end conclusion was the same; I could not, ever, return back home and had no other choice than to stay. After Daqtaq left, with a promise that he'd come back if he would find a way to return me, I locked myself in my quarters for two days and had a little breakdown, because... in the back of my head, I had always had the feeling that, eventually, they'd find a way to get me back. Now I couldn't, ever…  
  
After two days I came out again, I had accepted my fate, as far as possible and was ready to start my new life as Federation citizen. I would miss my life on Earth, my Earth; and the people associated with that terribly; but the fact that my copy lived there, made up for it quite a bit. My parents, or anyone else, wouldn't have to live in insecurity about my fate, not knowing if I was dead or alive because they never knew I had gone away. And I still had Lady to cheer me up and help me through. So next day I reported for duty as usual and decided to just live on and see what would happen to me in the rest of the roughly six months in the Delta Quadrant we had coming and then, what would happen back on Earth. When a Lieutenant came in, I grabbed a tricorder and just went to work… 


End file.
